Occulta spolia, et plures de pace triumphos.ins Nunc sociis juga pauca boum, et grex parvus equarum ; Ipsi deinde Lares, si quod spectabile signum, Si quis in ædiculâ Deus unicus: hæc etenim sunt 110 115 120 107. Hidden spoils.] Which they kept, as much as they could, from public view; not daring to expose them, as was usual by fair conquerors in their triumphs. More triumphs, &c.] Than others did from war.-q. d. They got a greater booty, by stripping the poor associates, now at peace, and in amity with Rome, than the conquerors of them did, when they subdued them by open war. 109. The father of the herd, &c.] Mr. Stepney, in his poetical translation of this passage, has well expressed the sense of it; viz. our confederates, now, Have nothing left but oxen for the plough, 110. The very household gods, &c.] These plunderers of the pro vinces are so merciless and rapacious, that they refrain not even from the lares, or little images, of those tutelar deities which were placed in people's houses; and, particularly, if any of these struck their fancy, as a handsome, well-wrought image-spectabile signum. Nay, though there were but one single image, they would take even that. See AINSW. Lar. 112. For chiefs.] Pro summis, i. e. viris.-q. d. These sacrilegi. ous depredations are for Roman chiefs to commit, because they are the most enormous (maxima, the greatest) crimes of all-(scelera understood)—such as no others would be guilty of. Other senses are given to this passage; but the above seems best to agree with the poet's satire on the Roman chiefs, who plundered the conquered provinces after their alliance with Rome. 113. The weak Rhodians.] A people infected with sloth and effe minacy. See sat. vi. 295. Anointed Corinth.] So called from its luxury and use of perfumed ointments a sure sign of great effeminacy. You may safely, and indeed with good reason, despise such peo Hidden spoils, and more triumphs from peace. [of mares, Now the associates have a few yokes of oxen, and a small herd And the father of the herd will be taken away from the captured field. Then the very household gods, if any remarkable image, 110 If any one single god be in the small shrine. But these (crimes) are 115 Who supply the city, intent upon the circus, and the theatre. But how great rewards of so dire a crime will you bring from thence, Since Marius has lately stripp'd the slender Africans? 120 ple as these; for you have nothing to fear, either from their resistance, or from their revenge. 114. An effeminated youth.] A race of youth, or young men, wholly sunk into effeminacy. Resinata juventus literally, the youth (of Corinth) who are resined-i. e. bedaubed all over with perfumes and essences of aromatic resins or gums. See AINSW. Resinatus. 115. Smooth legs, &c.] It was customary for the delicate young men to remove, as much as possible, the hair which grew on their limbs, and indeed from every part of the body, to make them lovely in the eyes of their beastly paramours. The poet here means, that an oppressive governor could have nothing to fear from such people as these, who could not have spirit, or courage enough, to attempt any resistance. 116. Rough Spain.] Then a hardy and brave people, who would not tamely submit to injuries done them by the Roman prefects. Gallic axis.] The Gauls fought from chariots. 117. The coast of Illyria.] Latus-lit. the side.-The Illyrians in habited the right side of the Adriatic gulph, including Dalmatia and Sclavonia; a hardy race of people. Their country was over against Italy. Those reapers, &c.] Meaning the people of Africa, who supplied Rome with corn. 118. The city.] Rome. Intent, &c.] Vacantem-empty of all other employment, and minding nothing else but the public diversions of the circus, and of the theatres. 119. How great rewards, &c.] But suppose you oppress the poor Africans, what can you get by it? 120. Marius.] Priscus, who being proconsul of Africa, pillaged the people of the province, for which he was condemned and banished. See sat. i. 1. 49. * Stripp'd.] Discinxerit-lit. ungirded—a metaphorical expression, alluding to the act of those who take away the garments Curandum imprimis, ne magna injuria fiat Fortibus et miseris, tollas licet omne quod usquam est ; Si tibi sancta cohors comitum ; si nemo tribunal of others, and who begin by loosening the girdle by which they are fastened. 122. The brave and miserable, &c.] Beware of provoking such by any unwarrantable oppression; they will certainly find some way to revenge themselves. Though you pillage them of all their money and goods, yet remember they have arms left, with which they can revenge their wrong. Entirely.] Omne quod usquam-lit. every thing which (is) any where. 126. Leaf of a Sibyl.] The Sibyls were supposed to be inspired with knowledge of future events, which came to pass as they forc told. See sat. iii. 1. 3, and note. Don't think, says Juvenal, that I am here giving you a mere random opinion of my own- -No; what I say is as true as an oracle, as fixed as fate itself, and will certainly come to pass; therefore regard it accordingly. 127. A virtuous set, &c.] Cohors here signifies cohors prætoriathose that accompanied the magistrate who went into a province. See AINSW. Cohors, No 5.-q. d. If the persons of your retinue, who attend you as your officers and ministers within your province, are virtuous and good. If no favourite, &c.] Acersecomes was an epithet of Apollo, (Gr. axegoexouns, intonsus,) and was transferred to the smooth-faced boys, which great men kept for their unnatural purposes. These favourites had great interest and influence with their masters, and people used to give them bribes to obtain their interference with the prefect when he sat in judgment, so as to incline him to favour their friends in his decisions. 128. No crime be in your wife.] It was too frequent for the governors of the provinces to be influenced by their wives in their de terminations of causes. First care is to be taken, lest great injury be done [every thing 125 7 If you have a virtuous set of attendants; if no favourite Sells seat of judgment; if no crime be in your wife; your Nor thro' the districts, and thro' the towns, with crooked Talons, does she, a Celano, contrive to go to seize money; 130 Then, you may reckon your lineage from Picus, and, if high names Delight you, you may place the whole Titanian battle, And Prometheus himself, among your ancestors: [please, Take to yourself a great grandfather from whatever book you But if ambition, and lust, hurry you headlong, If you break rods in the blood of the allies, if thee Blunt axes delight, the lictor being tired, 135 129. Districts.] See AINSW. Conventus, No. 3. It being put here with oppida seems to mean those districts into which the pro`vinces were divided, like our counties, wherein the people were summoned by the magistrate to meet for the dispatch of judicial business. In each of these the prefect held a court, something like our judges on the circuits, to try criminal and civil causes. So likewise in the cities, which were districts of themselves, like some of ours. This custom is very ancient-see 1 Sam. vii. 16. On these occasions the prefect's, or judge's wife, might attend, with no small advantage to herself, if she were inclined to extort money from the suitors, to influence her husband in their favour. 129-30. Crooked talons, &c.] Like an harpy, seizing on all she could get. Of Celano, and the other harpies, read Æn. iii. 1. 211-18, 245, 365, 703. 131. Picus.] The first king of the Aborigines, an ancient people of Italy, who incorporated themselves with the Romans. He was said to be the son of Saturn. 132. Titanian battle.] All the Titans, who were set in battlearray against Jupiter, these were sons of Saturn also. 133. Prometheus himself.] The son of Iapetus, one of the Titans, and Clymene, whom the poets feigned to have been the first former of men out of clay, and then to have animated them by fire stolen from heaven. See sat. iv. 133. 134. Whatever book, &c.] i. e. From whatever history of great and famous men you please.-q. d. You are welcome to this if you are yourself a worthy man and a good magistrate. 136. Break rods, &c.] If you break the rods, which you prepare for the allies over which you preside, on their bloody backs-i. e. if you cruelly torment them with scourges. 137. The lictor, &c.] If you delight in putting the poor people Incipit ipsorum contra te stare parentum Nobilitas, claramque facem præferre pudendis. OMNE ANIMI VITIUM TANTO CONSPECTIUS IN SE 140 CRIMEN HABET, QUANTO MAJOR, QUI PECCAT, HABETUR. Quò mihi te solitum falsas signare tabellas In templis, quæ fecit avus; statuamque parentis Præter majorum cineres, atque ossa volucri 145 150 to death, till the very axes are blunted by frequent use, and the executioner himself be tired out with the number of executions. 138. The nobility, &c.] So far from the nobility of your family's reflecting any honour upon you, it rises, and stands in judgment, as it were, against you, and condemns you for your degeneracy. 139. A clear torch, &c.] Makes your foul deeds the more con spicuous, and exposes your shame in a clearer light. 140. Every vice.] Such as cruelty, avarice, and the like. Pravi tates animi, vitia recte dicuntur. CIC. More conspicuous, &c.] So far from deriving any sanction from high and noble birth, the vices of the great are the more blame able, and more evidently inexcusable in proportion to the greatness of their quality-their crimes are the more notorious, their examples the more malignant. 142. Wherefore, &c.] Jactas is here understood Quo mihi jactas te solitum, &c.-q. d. "It is of very little consequence, that you, "who are in the habit of forging wills, should be boasting to me 66 your nobility-to what end, intent, or purpose, can you do it?" Quo, here, has the sense of quorsum. 143. In the temples.] It was usual to sign, as a witness to a will, in the temples of the gods, to put men in mind that they were obliged by religion to be true and faithful. See sat. i. I. 67, 8. Your grandfather built.] Fecit-lit. made. The piety of your ancestors reflects no honour upon you. 144. The triumphal statue, &c.] Which being set up in the tem ple, is, as it were, a witness of your villainy. A nightly adulterer.] Taking advantage of the night to con ceal your deeds of darkness. See Job xxiv. 15-17. 145. Your temples.] Your head and face, of which the temples are a part. Synec. -A Santonic hood.] The Santones were a people of Acquitain, a part of France, from whom the Romans derived the use of hoods, |